Hinged container guides for container ships



Nov. 19, 1963 D. J. SEYMOUR ETAL HINGED CONTAINER GUIDES FOR CONTAINER SHIPS Filed Aug. 10, 1961 INVENTORS 0a w'o d Seymour Geo/ye Z' We/s/Mo ATTORNEY United. States Patent Ofitice 3,1 l 1,1 M Patented Nov. 19, 1963 3,111,104 HINGED CONTAINER GUIDES FUR CONTAINER SHIPS David J. Seymour, Timonium, and George T- Welshlro,

Baltimore, Md assignors to Bethlehem Steel Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Aug. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 130,681 11 Claims. (Cl. 114-72) This invention relates generally to vessels adapted to carry cargo in containers and, specifically, to hinged guide means associated with the container cells of the vessel to guide the containers into the proper position over the container cells for entry therein.

'Brieily, this invention comprises ramp elements pivotally mounted to the hatch coarning for rotation in a vertical plane, with spring elements rnounted to the ramp elements to resiliently counterbalance the same when the latter are in non-operative position. When in operative guiding relation with the containers, the ramp elements are rotated above the level of the hatch coaming and are supported in such position by the coam-ing shelf or similar member.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide hinged guide means cooperating with a container cell to facilitate the entry of containers into said cell.

Another object of this invention is to provide hinged guide means adapted to be rotated in a vertical plane above the level of the hatch coaming to operative guiding relation with the containers or selectively to be rotated below the level of the hatch coaming into the container cell out of operative guiding relation with the containers.

A further object of this invention is to provide a springbalanced hinged container guide in which the weight of the container guide when in non-operative position is supported substantially by said spring.

Still other and further obiects of this invention will become apparent during the counse of the following description.

Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals represent like parts in the several views:

FIG. 1 represents a view in plan of one hold of a vessel, with portions of adjacent holds, showing diagrammatically the location of the hinged container guides about the holds and showing in phantom the containers in the several container cells in the holds.

FIG. 2 represents an enlarged section in elevation taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1, showing hinged container guides in operative guiding position between cells of adjacent holds, and showing in phantom the containers and two positions of the left-hand hinged container guide when rotated out of operative guiding position.

FIG. 3 represents an enlarged section in elevation taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 represents an enlarged section taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 represents an enlarged section in elevation taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

The container ship is seen to comprise hatch openings 1 defined by hatch ccamings 2 and coa-rning members 3. Guide angles 4 in hatch openings 1 define container cells 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 1%, 11, 12 and 13 into which containers 14 may be loaded and stacked. Guide angles 4 may be flared at their upper ends, as between cells a and 7, 9 and 1d, and 12 and 13. Hinged container guides 15 are spaced around the hatch openings 1 as shown in FIG. 1.

Each hinged container guide 15 comprises ramp element 16 pivotally mounted, by means of bolt 17, to pads 18 secured to the perimeter of batch opening 1, for rotation in a vertical plane. Spring 19, loosely mounted about bolt 17, is provided with one end 21} extending into a perforation in ramp element 16 so as to be fixed thereto,

and with another end 21 adapted to bear against hatch coaming 2. Spring 19 is interposed between ramp element 16 and hatch coaming 2 so as to resiliently resist rotation of the ramp element 16 into the container cell, the modulus of spring 19 preferably being chosen so as to just counterbalance and support the ramp element 16 in the substantially horizontal position 15 shown in FIG. 2. Spring 19 is also anranged so as to offer no resistance to the rotation of ramp element 16 to operative guiding position above coaming member 3, but rather to partially elevate ramp element 16 from position 16 (the position occupied by ram element 15 when the hatch cover is closed) to position 16, thereby facilitating the rotation of ramp element 16 to operative guiding position.

Each ramp element 16 comprises sloping guide face 22, side brackets 23 with rear support legs 24, and brace 25 secured between side brackets 23. Side brackets 23 may be recessed as at 26 to penmit ramp element is to be installed and operated over gasket seal bar 27, which latter is a conventional element of hatch construction serving to engage the gasket on the hatch cover (not shown).

In operation, when the hatch cover is removed, spring 19 raises ramp elements 16 of hinged container guides 15 from position 16 to position 16'. Ramp elements 16 are then lifted and rotated, by any convenient means such as a grappling hook or the like, to operative guiding position above the level of hatch coarnin-gs 2 and coaming members 3. It will be noted that, in the disclosed embodiment, of the two longer sides of each container cell, only one side is provided with hinged container guide means 15, viz., that side adjacent the edge of the batch opening 1, the other side adjacent the center of the hatch opening 1 not being provided with such hinged container guides 15. Containers 14 are swung over the cells to be loaded, being urged slightly towards those longer sides of the cells adjacent the edges of the hatch opening 1 and provided with said hinged container guides 15, and are lowered into the cells, sloping guide faces 22 facilitating the entry of the containers 14 into the cells and cooperating in this operation with the flared upper ends of the opposite guide angles (FIG. 5).

After the container cells have been loaded, ramp elements 16 are rotated into the cells below the level of hatch coamings 2 and coarning members 3, springs 19 preferably resiliently counterbalancing ramp elements 16 in the substantially horizontal position it? of FIG. 2. Thereafter, the hatch covers are placed over the hatch openings 1 and, where part of the lower hatch cover structure contacts the said ramp ele rent 16, the latter may he depressed out of the way against the force of spring 1& to the position shown in phantom in PEG. 2 as 16". It will be noted from an examination of FIG. 2 that sufiicient clearance is provided in the container cell above the topmost container 14 to permit rotation of ramp element 16 to the position 16".

While we have shown the best embodiment of our invention known to us, we do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown and described, but may use such modifications and equivalents as are embraced by the specification and drawings or as pointed out in the claims.

We claim:

1. In combination with a container cell, contain-er guide apparatus comprising a ramp element hingedly mounted to the container cell for rotation in a vertical plane to operative guiding position above the container cell or selectively out of operative guiding position to an inoperative position in the container cell, and spring means openatively interposed between said ramp element and said container cell.

2. In combination with a cargo hold defined by hatch coarning and coaming members and including a container ell therein, container guide apparatus comprising a ramp element, a pair of spaced cans secured to said ramp element, a pair of spaced pads secured to the periphery of said cargo hold and a bolt extending through said pairs of spaced ears and spaced pads and thereby mounting said ramp element for rotation in a vertical plane to operative guiding position above said cargo hold or selectively out of operative guiding position to an inoperative position in said cargo hold, further including a spring loosely mounted about said bolt and operatively interposed between said ramp element and the periphery of said cargo hold to resiliently counterbalance said ramp clement when the latter is rotated out of operative guiding position into said container cell.

3, In conibination with a cargo hold defined by hatch coaming and coaming members and including a container cell therein, container guide apparatus comprising a ramp element, a pair of spaced ears secured to said ramp element, a pair of spaced pads secured to the periphery of said cargo hold, the spacing between pads being greater than the spacing between cars, a bolt extending through said pairs of spaced pads and spaced ears and thereby mounting said rampelement for rotation in a vertical plane to operative guiding position above said cargo hold or selectively out of operative guiding position to an inoperative position in said cargo hold, said pair of spaced ears being positioned between said spaced pads, a spring loosely mounted about said bolt between said spaced ears, a first end on said spring secured to said ramp element, and a second end on said spring adapted to bear against said hatch coaniing.

4. Apparatus as in claim 3, further including leg means on said ramp element engageable with said coaming memher when said ramp element is rotated out of said cargo hold to operative guiding position above said cargo hold.

5. In combination with a container cell, container guide apparatus comprising a ramp element hingedly mounted to the container cell for rotation in a vertical plane to operative guiding position above the container cell or selectively out of operative gliding position to an inoperative position in the container cell, and means resiliently counterbalancing said ramp element when said ramip element is rotated out of operative guiding position into said container cell, said lastamentioned means being operatively interposed between said ramp element and said container cell.

6. In combination with a container cell, container guide apparatus comprising a ramp element hingedly mounted to the container cell for rotation in a vertical plane to operative guiding position above the container cell or selectively out of operative guiding position to an inoperative position in the container cell, and means resiliently counterbalancing said ramp element in a substantially horizontal position when said ram-p element is rotated out of operative guiding position into said container cell, said last-mentioned means being operatively interposed between said ramp element and said container cell.

7. In combination with a container cell, container guide apparatus comprising a ramp element hingedly mounted to the container cell for rotation in a vertical plane to operative guiding position above the container cell or selectively out of operative guiding position to an inoperative position in the container cell, and means resiliently counterbalancing said ramp element in a position above the lowest rotated position of said ramp element when said ramp element is rotated out of operative guiding position into said container cell, said last-mentioned means being operatively interposed between said ramp element and said container cell.

8. In combination with a container cell, container guide apparatus comprising a ramp element hingedly mounted to the container cell for rotation in a vertical plane to operative guiding position above the container cell or selectively out of operative guiding position to an inoperative position in the container cell, and means unidirectionally resiliently resisting rotation of said ramp element out of operative guiding position to a position in said contancr cell, said last-mentioned means being operatively interposed between said ramp element and said container cell.

9. In combination with a cargo hold defined by hatch coaming and coarning members and including a container cell therein, container guide apparatus com-prising a ramp element, a pair of spaced ears secured to said ramp element, a pair of spaced pads secured to the periphery of said cargo hold and a bolt extending through said pairs of spaced ears and spaced pads and thereby mounting said ramp element for rotation in a vertical plane to operative guiding position above said cargo hold or selectively out of operative guiding position to an inoperative position in said cargo hold, and means resiliently counterbalancing said ramp element in a substantially horizontal position in said cargo hold when said ramp element is rotated out of operative guiding position into said cargo hold, said last-mentioned means comprising a spring loosely mounted about said bolt and operatively interposed between said ramp element and the periphery of said cargo hold.

10. In combination with a cargo hold defined by hatch coaming and coaming members and including a container cell therein, container guide apparatus comprising a ramp element, a pair of spaced ears secured to said ramp element, a pair of spaced pads secured to the periphery of said cargo hold and a bolt extending through said pairs of spaced ears and spaced pads and thereby mounting said ramp element for rotation in a vertical plane to operative guiding position above said cmgo hold or selectively out of operative guiding position to an inoperative position in sad cargo hold, and means resiliently counterbalancing said ramp element in a position above the lowest rotated position of said ramp element when said ramp element is rotated out of operative guiding position into said cargo hold, said last-mentioned means comprising a spring loosely mounted about said bolt and operatively interposed between said rarnlp element and the periphery of said cargo hold.

11. In combination with a cargo hold defined by hatch coaming and coaming members and including a container cell therein, container guide apparatus comprising a ramp element, a pair of spaced ears secured to said ramp element, a pair of spaced pads secured to the periphery of said cargo hold and a bolt extending through said pairs of spaced ears and spaced pads and thereby mounting said tramp element for rotation in a vertical plane to operative guiding position above said cargo hold or selectively out of operative guiding position to an inoperative position in said cargo hold, and means unidirectionally resiliently resisting rotation of said ramp element out of operative guiding position to a position in said cargo hold, said last-mentioned means comprising a spring loosely mounted above said bolt and operaitively interposed between said ramp element and the periphery of said cargo hold.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A CONTAINER CELL, CONTAINER GUIDE APPARATUS COMPRISING A RAMP ELEMENT HINGEDLY MOUNTED TO THE CONTAINER CELL FOR ROTATION IN A VERTICAL PLANE TO OPERATIVE GUIDING POSITION ABOVE THE CONTAINER CELL OR SELECTIVELY OUT OF OPERATIVE GUIDING POSITION TO AN INOPERATIVE POSITION IN THE CONTAINER CELL, AND SPRING MEANS 